


Freezing Water

by sapphire316



Series: Fullmetal Alchemist Amino Scenario Weekly Writing Prompts [4]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: FMA/ROTG Crossover, Gen, Otherwise pretty nice and friendly I think, Rated T purely based on Edward's mouth, SWW, Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 06:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18614578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphire316/pseuds/sapphire316
Summary: “Mhm...do it again.”“...Ed, it’s been like an hour. I can only freeze and unfreeze a glass of water so many times before it gets irredeemably boring.”“Suck it up, snow cone. We’re not stopping until I figure out how the hell you do that.”(Originally written for a Scenario Weekly Writing Prompt on Fullmetal Alchemist Amino)





	Freezing Water

**Author's Note:**

> Along with being a SWW entry, this is part of a FMA/ROTG crossover series that...doesn't exist yet XD Hopefully I'll get that together and posted soon enough, but for now, all you need to know is that Ed, Al, and Winry have known Jack Frost for a few months at this point. Enjoy!

“Mhm...do it again.”

“...Ed, it’s been like an hour. I can only freeze and unfreeze a glass of water so many times before it gets irredeemably boring.”

“Suck it up, snow cone. We’re not stopping until I figure out how the hell you do that.”

Despite having known the insult to science that was Jack Frost for several months at this point in time, Edward still had yet to figure out exactly how the older boy’s “magic” was supposed to work. The young alchemist knew that, by all rights, it was impossible to create something out of nothing (without a Philosopher’s Stone, that is), and also that it was  _ certainly _ impossible to create something as large-scale as a blizzard with nothing more than a flick of the wrist.

Ed was determined to solve the mystery of Jack’s powers, because no matter how many times Jack insisted that “there’s no science involved in magic,” or “I don’t perform any equations or whatever, I just kind of do it,” Edward simply could not accept such a flawed, illogical explanation. Everything that existed could be proven and explained through experimentation and study.

It was just that...this particular experiment wasn’t yielding many results.

“This is stupid,” Jack stated plainly as he waved his hand, causing the water in the glass to solidify again. “Can’t we test this in like...an actually fun way? Snowball fight? Sledding? Ice skating?  _ Anything? _ ”

“Ughhh...” Edward groaned, rubbing his forehead with his flesh hand. “I’ve already told you no! For this to work, I need to first see what’s happening at a base level. I can’t be distracted by getting hit in the face with a snowball! This kind of experiment requires a controlled, easily observable environment.” He rolled his eyes. “You’d think that someone who’s been alive for three centuries would’ve learned that by now.”

Jack arched an eyebrow. “Technically speaking, I never went to school, so…”

“Explains why you’re such a dumbass.”

“...you’re mean, you know that?”

“And you’re annoying. What are you, a little kid?”

“And you’re boring!” Jack countered, arms crossed. “What are you, a grumpy old man?”

“No!” Ed retorted with a sharp look. “I’m a scientist! And I’m going to figure this out, so just sit still and cooperate!”

“Yep...definitely a grumpy old man,” the winter spirit mumbled, a slight pout forming on his face.

Edward had to physically restrain himself from rolling his eyes at the older boy’s behavior. “You agreed to this,” the blond pointed out, picking up the glass full of frozen water to examine it closer. “So you’d better follow through. Simple as that.”

“I know I agreed to it, but...God, this is  _ dull _ ,” Jack insisted, dramatically leaning his chair back to the point where Edward knew it would have fallen, had it not been for the spirit’s almost non-existent relationship with gravity.

“Science isn’t dull,” the young alchemist argued, not taking his eyes off of the glass. “You’re just too much of a dumbass to properly appreciate it.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ed could see Jack giving him the dullest look he had ever seen on the immortal’s face. “‘You’re the dumbass,’ says the one currently staring at a block of ice as if it’s gonna do anything,” Jack deadpanned. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that, blondie.”

This time, Edward couldn’t help but roll his eyes in exasperation. “You know what? I will keep telling myself that, because I know I’m right,” he said. “And quit calling me blondie!”

“Quit calling me dumbass, and we’ll call it even.”

“Mhm...yeah, I don’t think so, dumbass.”

“Well then, blondie, guess I’m gonna keep calling you blondie.”

“Ugh...just shut up and let me work,” Ed grumbled, resisting yet another eyeroll. “Guardian of Annoyance.”

“That’s Guardian of  _ Fun _ ,” Jack corrected. “You of all people should remember that. You  _ need _ some fun in your life.”

“No, what I  _ need _ ,” Edward grumbled irritably. “Is for you to just let me figure this damn magic stuff out already.”

“And…” Jack arched a dark eyebrow. “You  _ need _ to do this because…?”

“It’s for science!”

The albino boy gave the blond a look. “...last I checked, buddy, magic and science don’t exactly go hand in hand. Pretty sure science rejects everything even remotely magical, and magic is, in your words, ‘an insult to science.’”

“No, the idea that you can just make ice out of thin air is an insult to science,” Ed told him matter-of-factly. “Which is why there has to be some sort of scientific formula to it all. Thus, we’re experimenting with a natural process–freezing water–and trying to see how you somehow influence its occurrence without a transmutation circle, or clapping, or anything.”

“Which is pointless because it’s literally magic and can’t be explained away with ‘experimentation,’” Jack interjected dully. “Also it’s boring. Pointless and boring.”

“Ugh...just shut it,” the alchemist groaned. “I’m trying to make observations, and it’s not exactly easy when your assistant won’t stop rambling!”

“I’m sorry, ‘assistant’?”

“Yes, now shut up and let me work.”

“Yeesh...pushy.”

The good news was that Jack finally shut his mouth and allowed Edward to continue examining the frozen glass of water.

The bad news was that it lasted all of about five minutes.

“You know…” Jack drawled, forming a blue snowflake on the tip of his finger and letting it lazily swirl around his hand. “I can do more than just freeze stuff.”

“Is that so,” Ed muttered, his apathetic tone entirely unlike that which usually accompanies a question.

Jack, however, was undeterred, and continued speaking anyway. “I mean, you know the basics...I can also create snow, fly, and influence the winter weather. But...there is one thing I haven’t shown you yet.”

“Which is?” the alchemist asked dully, bracing himself for what was probably a stupid joke.

The winter spirit smirked. “The reason they call me ‘Guardian of Fun.’” With a wave of his hand, the snowflake he created gently drifted over to Ed, lightly landing on his nose. For a moment, Edward could have sworn he saw sparkles shimmering in front of his eyes.

The next thing he knew, he was fighting back a smile.

For some reason, he began to think back to what Jack had suggested as alternatives to merely sitting around and freezing water, this time no longer scoffing at any of the older boy’s ideas. Sledding, ice skating...or...a snowball fight, huh…?

...he supposed it couldn’t hurt to take a break for just a few minutes…

“So, um…” Edward began tentatively, a grin beginning to form on his face at the sudden lightness in his heart and mind. “...you said something about a snowball fight…?”

Jack mirrored the younger boy’s grin. “That I did, blondie,” he replied, standing up. “That I did.”

“Well, then...the scientist says it’s time for a short break!” Ed decided, already finding himself looking forward to the event. “Might as well go get Al and Winry too...I bet they’d enjoy a little distraction!”

“Fine by me. The more the merrier!”

“Right!”

Edward wasn’t sure why, but as he too stood up and started to exit the room, he thought he heard Jack laugh lightly and murmur something to himself. He quickly brushed it off, however, and left the room, a certain satisfied Guardian of Fun close behind.

_ “Heh...works every time.” _


End file.
